Mass arrest of Oromo professionals continued

February 23, 2007 - The past couple of months more than 14 Oromo professionals heading the Ethiopia Rural Roads Construction Authority offices in various parts of Oromia have been arrested. The recent victims of such arbitrary detention were engineer Ababa Garoma, manager of the Rural Roads Maintenance Department of the Illu Abba Bora zone of Oromia, and another person heading the finance department of the same office. Currently the victims are being tortured in Mattu police station and are expected to be sent to the notorious Makalawi prison in Finfinnee soon. Victim's friends have identified a government security agent by the name Iyasu, who also works in the same office, for the imprisonment of engineer Garoma by accusing him of being a sympathizer of the Oromo Liberation Front. Similarly the mangers of the Ethiopia Rural Roads Construction Authority offices in Bale and Hararghe zones have also been arrested.

Witnesses from the Illu Abba Bora zone have identified the following government security personnel who are responsible for the arrest of Oromo professionals in the region and particularly for hunting down Oromos in the Beddelle town:
1. Geetuu Mahammad, 2. Indaalee W/Goorgis, 3. Andu’alam Bafiqaaduu, 4. Nuuruu Huseen (employee of Badelle Brewery).

According to these witnesses Nuuruu Huseen also acts in collaboration with other government agents in Beddelle secondary school and is also responsible for the imprisonment of several students from Beddelle secondary school. Oromo nationalists in the region have warned these government agents to refrain from their criminal actions.

We would like to alert Oromos in the region to be aware of the covert operations of these individuals and take necessary precautionary measures.


Victory for the Oromo People!

OLF Foreign Division of Information

February 23, 2007

Mass arrest of Oromo Professionals from Oromia Rural Roads Authority (ORRA)

February 20, 2007 - The TPLF minority led ERPDF government is blindly harassing innocent professionals for their mere being OROMO. Recently on February 16, 2007 security agents detained more than 10 professionals from Oromia Rural Roads Authority (ORRA) with out any court order and took all of them to Maikelawi Central prison. Of those detained some are:

1. Engineer Abdissa Kumsa- Civil Engineer-Technical and Development Division Head of ORRA.
2. Engineer Ibsa Mohammed -Civil Engineer-Former Ilu Abba Bor Rural Roads Maintenance Manager, Currently Working at HQ of ORRA.
3. Engineer Belay Ginbo - Civil Engineer-Project Manager of Kula-Daraba.
4. Engineer Habtamu Alemu-Civil Engineer-Project Manager of Kombolcha-Dadu-Kawo.
5. Engineer Matwos Tamiru-Civil Engineer- North Shawa Zone Rural Roads Maintenance Manager.
6. Engineer Frew –Civil Engineer-Borana Zone Rural Roads Maintenance Manager.
7. Engineer Birhanu Sime-Engineer-Project Manager of Ogolcho-Meki.
8. Engineer Adugna Dheressa-Mechanical Engineer- Administration and Maintenance of Machineries of ORRA.
9. Engineer Mulugeta Dinka-Civil Engineer –Former General Manager of ORRA, currently General Manager of Oromia Urban Development Authority. He is OPDO Cabinet Member, suspended from duty due to unsubstantiated suspicion of relation to ORRA employees and OLF. His fate is most likely to face same harassment as those currently arrested and taken to prison.
10. Engineer Lamma Mosisa-Civil Engineer-from Adama Projects.
11. Mr Firdissa Yadata- Statistics Expert.

All of these professionals were arrested only for being Oromo, self confident professionals and mere allegation of supporting OLF. There is serious surveillance on remaining professionals and harassing innocent Oromo professionals continue an abetted.

As per the information delivered today, the prime informants for the brutal Wayyaane security forces are individuals promised high promotion from the regime to spy under guise of official duty in every office.

It was of recent memory that many of the same professionals were suffering prolonged imprisonment, forced exile and disappearance with out any trace.

Victory for Oromo and Oppressed People!

Source: OLF Info Desk